Tulsa and its "strip mall" feel

[Gaspar]

quote:Originally posted by Hoss

quote:Originally posted by TUalum0982

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Strip malls are one problem, national chains are another, and auto-driven (no pun intended) development is a third.

I heard that the Mayor was at a convention drumming up business to bring national chains to Tulsa.  I'm trying to think of one I would want.  OK...maybe an IKEA.

One solution to "Generica" is to support local merchants and restaurants.  The product is better, and the investment stays in Tulsa.

Some terrific places are found in strip malls...but I agree, they are not that inspiring to look at....or walk to.  (Indeed, I often overlook places in strip malls, b/c I'm always averting my eyes from the ugliness.  I have to remind myself that the food can be great, even if the atmosphere is less than inspiring.)

I can think of several, Half Price Books, Boston Market, and Frys.  

I work at the airport, and I hear EVERYDAY how beautiful, wonderful, I want to move here, Tulsa is.  I know alot of people who have lived here awhile have legitimate complaints, IE our mayor, roads, OKC VS TULSA, etc etc, but we have a great city here and some of us just don't know how good we have it.

+1

I think we have an awesome city, but there is always room for discussion of improvement.  For example, streets, zoning, cleanliness, development, and all of those things that we need to be very introspective about as we continue to grow within and  around our borders.

That's what we're HERE for, on this forum.

There was a time when wide-open spaces made a strip mall the way to go.  I think we've grown out of that.  Thank God!

Money drives development and developers work within the guidelines set before them.  The city, needs to attract developers, so they design laws that make development attractive.  Used to be strip malls, now it's becoming denser multi-use structures.  The strip mall development now belongs to Jenks, Broken Arrow, and Bixby.  Eventually they will grow out of it too.

[bigdtottown]

I don't think Utica Square meets the definition of Strip Mall.  It reminds me of a shopping center close to our house here in Dallas called Highland Park Village, they are very both very walkable.  I actually like going to Utica when we are in Tulsa and I'm not much of a shopper.  BTW, Central Market and World Market are killer stores.  I think World Market would do well in Tulsa.  Central Market would have to be in the right spot in Tulsa but the one here is absolutely a madhouse pretty much any time we go there.  AWESOME beer selection...my wife says the food selection is really good too...I'll have to trust her on that.

[izmophonik]

You are correct.  Technically Utica Square is classified as an "Open Air Mall" or back when it was built, a "Retail Lifestyle Center".  Open air malls have recently taken off again in popularity but Utica square is among the oldest in the U.S.  I believe the oldest open air mall was built in 1924.

[bigdtottown]

Highland Park Village opened in '31 and Utica opened in '54 but they are very similar in overall feel, although Utica Square dwarfs Highland Park Village in size.  The general experience of both of them is much better than typical strip malls but strip malls are cheaper, by far, to build.  Another extremely successful example of the open air layout is Southlake Town Square in Southlake, TX.  We toured it when I was in a graduate real estate program and it's pretty impressive.  I wish more developers took the long term perspective since it can also be very profitable.

[dbacks fan]

quote:Originally posted by bigdtottown

Highland Park Village opened in '31 and Utica opened in '54 but they are very similar in overall feel, although Utica Square dwarfs Highland Park Village in size.  The general experience of both of them is much better than typical strip malls but strip malls are cheaper, by far, to build.  Another extremely successful example of the open air layout is Southlake Town Square in Southlake, TX.  We toured it when I was in a graduate real estate program and it's pretty impressive.  I wish more developers took the long term perspective since it can also be very profitable.

Although it does not have the Town Square this is near us in Phoenix, and it's also adjacent to a JW Marriott Resort.

http://www.shopdesertridge.com/index.aspx

These types are becoming very popular.

[bigdtottown]

What's interesting about Southlake Town Square is that it literally IS the town square for Southlake and includes all gov't functions.  They managed to give it the look of a traditional town square, along with all the retail, without looking too much like some sort of Disney joke.  Some of the retail stores there have their highest volume locations in the nation.  One strike against Highland Park Village is they are booting Harolds out b/c it's not seen as "high end" enough.  That sucks since it was the first Harolds outside of Oklahoma,  although they are just moving a few miles away.

[hoodlum]

the country club plaza in KC is the oldest mall/shopping center in the country. built in 1922